Shake Ya Ass: NikTronic live at the Lager House

Hit That Perfect Beat Boy (photo: Alissa Lincoln)

by Thomas Matich


My Valentine and I strolled into the Lager House a bit early on Saturday night. The doorman recognized both of us from last weekend. We ordered some beer and I eyed all the frilly heart-shaped cookies and decorations as the bands got set up in the adjacent room. As Alicia from The Nice Device organized the band's CDs and T-shirts in a cool suitcase with lights from "Home Depot," I asked her if the slices of cake sitting on the table next to it was part of their merch. She laughed and said no.

If this special night is intended for romantic lovers holding hands during candlelight dinners, than NikTronic is made for the steamy, sweaty, hook-up sex in the back of the dance club. As a cute, slim 18-year-old one-man band gyrating and shaking his booty while he doodles with a Roland and twists some knobs, he's a twink-in-a-box, anxious to get the party started as he boldly declares "come on and dance" to the audience until they get groovin'.

Performing in only his second show, one can tell that NikTronic is still finding his footing. But he reminds of me Dave Gahan in Depeche Mode's Vince Clarke days. The showmanship is inherent and with a Bowie lightning-bolt smeared across his eye, it's clear that NikTronic has studied the architects of glam and synth-pop. As he breezed through his pheromone popping set, the crowd went from a few bobbing heads to a small dance party.

With songs like "The Groove Is In Your Butt" and one that I'm pretty sure was called "Booty Juice," it goes without saying that NikTronic's bombastic beats are geared towards making bootys bounce. Although his lyrics might be a bit elementary, they'll make you giggle and blush. But his instrumentals, however, are far from amateur. The kid's got skills and with time, we could be looking at Detroit's answer to SSION (and beyond). //DC//

NikTronic @ MySpace